Project description:BackgroundThe reduction of antimicrobial usage (AMU) is in the focus in modern pig production. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of alternatives to reduce AMU at herd level. In a prospective study, 68 farrow-to-finish pig herds located in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden were recruited on a voluntary basis to implement tailor-made intervention plans to reduce their AMU. Alternative measures included improvement of biosecurity (n = 29 herds), vaccination (n = 30), changes of feeding schemes or drinking water quality (n = 45), improved pig health and welfare care (n = 21) as well as changes in stable climate and zootechnical measures (n = 14). Herds were followed for 1 year after implementation of measures. Annual antimicrobial expenditures or treatment records, as well as disease incidence scores were collected and compared to those of the year before intervention. AMU was measured as the treatment incidence and calculated by age category, antimicrobial class and administration route.ResultsCompliance with the intervention plans was high (median 93%). AMU was significantly reduced following the implementation of alternative measures: in the median herd of the four countries, pigs were treated before intervention 25% of their expected lifespan (200 days from birth to slaughter) and after intervention 16%. AMU of suckling and weaned pigs were significantly reduced by 37 and 54%, respectively. The usage of polymyxins and tetracyclines was significantly reduced by 69 and 49%, respectively. AMU via feed and water, as well as parenteral AMU were significantly reduced by 46 and 36%, respectively. Herds with a higher AMU level before intervention achieved a bigger reduction. The majority of disease incidence were similar before and after intervention, with a few exceptions of disorders related to the gastro-intestinal tract in suckling pigs (decreased) and in breeding pigs (increased).ConclusionFollowing tailor-made implementation of alternative measures, a substantial reduction of AMU in pig production was achievable without jeopardizing animal health. The AMU reduction in the youngest age categories (suckling and weaned pigs) and the reduction of group treatments via feed and water was in line with the recent European Guidelines on the prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine.
Project description:BackgroundDifferent professionals working in healthcare organizations (e.g., physicians, veterinarians, pharmacists, biologists, engineers, etc.) must be able to properly manage scarce resources to meet increasingly complex needs and demands. Due to the lack of specific courses in curricular university education, particularly in the field of medicine, management training programs have become an essential element in preparing health professionals to cope with global challenges. This study aims to examine factors influencing the effectiveness of management training programs and their outcomes in healthcare settings, at middle-management level, in general and by different groups of participants: physicians and non-physicians, participants with or without management positions.MethodsA survey was used for gathering information from a purposive sample of professionals in the healthcare field attending management training programs in Italy. Factor analysis, a set of ordinal logistic regressions and an unpaired two-sample t-test were used for data elaboration.ResultsThe findings show the importance of diversity of pedagogical approaches and tools and debate, and class homogeneity, as effectiveness factors. Lower competencies held before the training programs and problems of dialogue and discussion during the course are conducive to innovative practice introduction. Interpersonal and career outcomes are greater for those holding management positions.ConclusionsThe study reveals four profiles of participants with different gaps and needs. Training programs should be tailored based on participants' profiles, in terms of pedagogical approaches and tools, and preserve class homogeneity in terms of professional backgrounds and management levels to facilitate constructive dialogue and solution finding approach.
Project description:Environmental Enteropathy (EE) is a subclinical condition primarily effecting developing countries believed to be caused by chronic fecal-oral contamination. The condition is characterized by chronic gut inflammation, malabsorption, stunting of growth, stunted villi, and reduced efficacy of oral vaccines. Due to the similarity of the gastrointestinal tract and immune response of swine and humans, the piglet is an attractive model for studying this condition. In this present study, piglets were challenged with either a chronic or acute dose of pathogenic E.coli in an attempt to mimic the symptoms of EE over a 7 day trial period. Throughout the study a number of biological samples were collected for analysis and are presented here, including feces for untargeted metabolomics analysis.
Project description:Value chain analysis (VCA) calculated the financial effects on food chain actors of interventions to improve animal health and welfare in the intensive pig sector. Two interventions to reduce production diseases were studied. A generic chain diagram of linkages between stakeholders and value-added dimensions was designed. Data on structure and financial performance were collected for the sector. The production parameters and financial effects of the interventions were then described to illustrate impact on the supply chain. The effects of the interventions were also assessed at market level using economic welfare analysis. The sectors in Finland and the UK are small in farm numbers and few companies produced much of the output in a largely vertically-integrated structure. The most beneficial intervention in financial terms to farmers was improved hygiene in pig fattening (around +50% in gross margin). It was calculated to reduce the consumer price for pig meat by up to 5% when applied at large, whereas for improved management measures, it would reduce consumer price by less than 0.5%. However, the latter added value also through food quality attributes. We show that good hygiene and animal care can add value. However, evaluation of the financial and social viability of the interventions is needed to decide what interventions are adopted. The structure of supply chains influences which policy measures could be applied. Of the two interventions, improved pig hygiene had the largest potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The studied interventions can also provide new business opportunities to farms, slaughterhouses and food sector companies. More evidence is needed to support public policies and business decision-making in the sector. For this, evidence on consumer attitudes to production diseases is needed. Nevertheless, the study makes an important contribution by showing how improvements in health and welfare benefit the whole chain.
Project description:BackgroundThe global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a One Health problem impacted by antimicrobial use (AMU) for human and livestock applications. Extensive Iberian swine production is based on a more sustainable and eco-friendly management system, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate how sustained differences in AMU impact the resistome, not only in the animals but also on the farm environment. Here, we evaluate the resistome footprint of an extensive pig farming system, maintained for decades, as compared to that of industrialized intensive pig farming by analyzing 105 fecal, environmental and slurry metagenomes from 38 farms.ResultsOur results evidence a significantly higher abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) on intensive farms and a link between AMU and AMR to certain antimicrobial classes. We observed differences in the resistome across sample types, with a higher richness and dispersion of ARGs within environmental samples than on those from feces or slurry. Indeed, a deeper analysis revealed that differences among the three sample types were defined by taxa-ARGs associations. Interestingly, mobilome analyses revealed that the observed AMR differences between intensive and extensive farms could be linked to differences in the abundance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Thus, while there were no differences in the abundance of chromosomal-associated ARGs between intensive and extensive herds, a significantly higher abundance of integrons in the environment and plasmids, regardless of the sample type, was detected on intensive farms.ConclusionsOverall, this study shows how AMU, production system, and sample type influence, mainly through MGEs, the profile and dispersion of ARGs in pig production. Video Abstract.
Project description:Improper use of antibiotics in swine could reduce commensal bacteria and possibly increase pathogen infections via the gut resistome. This study aimed to compare the metaproteomic profiles of gut resistome and related metabolism in the cecal microbiota of fattening pigs raised under antibiotic-free (ABF) conditions with those of ordinary industrial pigs (CTRL).